


Flickering Lights

by winterune



Series: The Price of Freedom: Zack Week 2020 [4]
Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Aerith is mentioned, Feels, Friendship, Gen, Hope, Promises, Zack Fair Week 2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-28
Updated: 2020-09-28
Packaged: 2021-03-08 03:35:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 900
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26689033
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/winterune/pseuds/winterune
Summary: [Zack Fair Week 2020]Before Zack departs to Nibelheim, Kunsel asks why Zack looks troubled.
Relationships: Zack Fair & Kunsel, Zack Fair/Aerith Gainsborough
Series: The Price of Freedom: Zack Week 2020 [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1937266
Comments: 5
Kudos: 15





	Flickering Lights

**Author's Note:**

> My entry for Zack Fair Week 2020 Day 4: Cheerful/Positivity/Hope
> 
> Unbeta'd and only slightly edited. This was inspired by Kunsel’s mails to Zack, in which Kunsel tells Zack he could tell him anything, and where Kunsel goes and offers Aerith to fix her flower cart.

It was the night before his mission. Zack stood at the empty lounge staring across the thick, double-pane windows, arms folded across his chest. Standing at Floor 49 made him feel like he was at the top of the world. The ground felt so far, the lights of the Midgar Uppercity flickered like stars in the sky. But there were no stars that night. Not even a moon to be seen. The inky blackness stretched as far as the eye could see, mountain peaks jutted in the far southern distance. Beyond that was Junon, where they would board a ship, onward to Nibelheim.

Where was Aerith, he wondered. His eyes searched the flickering lights, as though he could will himself to see past the plates and into the slums. To the little cottage surrounded by stone walls, where the water ran so clear that flowers bloomed all around. He had left the girl back at the church, after going with her to the Sector 6 playground, pushing along the flower cart he’d built for her. _Let’s go sell flowers under the sky together_ , she’d said. _I won’t be afraid if you’re with me_. Zack had promised her he would.

“There you are.” The voice broke through his reverie. Kunsel walked in from the adjacent hall, joining him by his side. “Ready to depart?”

“Ready as I’ll ever be,” Zack said, his gaze returning to the windows.

There was a short pause before Kunsel said, “Scary face you got there, for one who’s just seen his girlfriend.” And Zack half scoffed, a retort ready on his lips, but when he looked, his friend was staring straight ahead, past the windows and into the darkness. Kunsel glanced at him from the corner of his eyes. “Wanna talk about it?”

Another pause, this time from Zack, because he hadn’t expected the question, and his reflex was to grin and tease him, saying, “You’re worried about me?” But there was no playfulness in the contours of Kunsel’s face.

“Being serious doesn’t suit you, you know,” he ended up saying, his voice laced with a quiet laugh.

Yet Kunsel didn’t miss a beat. “Nor you.” They looked at each other, sharing grins between themselves.

His friend had sent him an email that afternoon, saying something about listening to anything Zack wanted to say. Zack hadn’t understood what it meant—still didn’t quite understand it now. Was he the type who kept things to himself? Maybe? He didn’t know. He’d thought he knew; he wasn’t so sure of it now.

 _Talk to me, Zack,_ Kunsel had said in his mail. Talk about what? About the way Aerith’s eyes were downcast when they promised to sell flowers under the sky? Or the small piece of paper he now kept in his pocket with all her twenty-three wishes inside? Or maybe Kunsel didn’t mean Aerith. Maybe he meant Angeal, or this whole mess SOLDIER was in.

Something inside him screamed, but no matter how much Zack strained his ears, he couldn’t make out any of its words.

“I feel restless,” Zack finally said, his quiet voice sounded loud in his ears. The vast stretch of black sky drew him in and he couldn’t see anything else beyond it. “Like I can’t wait to get this mission over and done with so I can be with her more. Tseng’s promised to protect her, then there’s that Copy too, but...” his voice trailed off, ending with a soft scoff under his breath. “Maybe it’s just a case of lovestruck?”

He had been serious, but when Kunsel snorted with laughter, Zack’s face burned.

“Don’t laugh!”

“Sorry, sorry.” Kunsel wheezed, his shoulders shaking as he tried to contain his laugh. “I’d never thought I’d hear the word _lovestruck_ coming from Zack Fair’s mouth.”

Zack frowned. But maybe Kunsel had a point. It wasn’t like him to be sentimental. Then again, maybe it _was_ like him. He just hadn’t met anyone who could make him feel like this…until Aerith.

“Joking aside,” Kunsel went on, brushing a stray tear from his eye. “You don’t have to worry about her, Zack. If having two bodyguards isn’t enough, then I’ll look after her, too.”

Zack’s eyes widened. “You will?”

Kunsel shrugged. “Might get some juicy info from her. Though, I _have_ known you longer. _She_ might be the one who wants juicy info from me.”

Having Aerith meet Kunsel might be a bad idea after all. Who knew what sort of blasphemy he would tell her? But it did put Zack’s mind more at ease. And having two of his most important people in the world having each other’s backs while he was away was everything he could have hoped for.

“Just promise me one thing,” his friend went on. A quiet pause, before he said, “Come back safe. You have someone waiting for you now.”

And Zack would have laughed, like he always did. Puffed out his chest and said, “Like you don’t know me,” or “That’s what heroes do.” But Kunsel’s gaze was hard as he stared across the windows, his mouth stretched into a thin line. The only response Zack could muster was a small smile, soft as he averted his eyes back toward the dark.

“Of course,” he said.

Quiet fell between them as they watched the flickering lights in silence. The endless blue-black sky didn’t look so imposing anymore.

**~ END ~**

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed it :D Feel free to leave kudos/comments if you find the fic to your liking. Thank you :)


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